Arizona AIA Architect Offering Residential Design, Commercial Design & Planning

Notre Dame Classical Architecture Education with Vernacular Design Philosophy.

FIRM PROFILE

Located near Sedona, Arizona, we are a small architectural firm that prides itself in personal client interaction with a select client base. With a small staff & low overhead, we can offer competitive A/E fees. The firm’s design philosophy is classically influenced, with an emphasis on vernacular traditions. The importance of sustainability, site sensitivity & native/reclaimed materials are examples of prioritized project features.

CLASSICAL ORDER - DORIC

Firmitas Utilitas Venustas

Vitruvius, the famous ancient Roman Architect, in his book, 'The Ten Books of Architecture' notes the three ‘classic’ architectural values of firmitas (firmness, or structure), utilitas (commodity, or utility), and venustas (delight or beauty) in good buildings.

Simple, economical forms Native materials Indigenous Organic forms Nature based Local traditions Site Sensitive Contextual

Historic Vernacular Barn Structure. Camp Verde, Arizona

vernacular barn and farmhouse - Sedona, Arizona

Contextual agricultural silo - Camp Verde, Arizona

Commercial utilitarian vernacular architecture

Vernacular building with regional, native materials

Hillside Housing. Laguna, New Mexico

Laguna Church. Laguna, New Mexico

Historic Barn Structure. Camp Verde, Arizona

Cliff Dwelling. Lake Montezuma, Arizona

Barn structure. Sedona, Arizona

Water tank. Camp Verde, Arizona

Smelter building. Clarkdale, Arizona

La Boca / Calle Caminito. Buenos Aires, Argentina

VERNACULAR DESIGN: Local Materials & Craftsmanship. Adaptive form based on Region. The vernacular design is a philosophy that emphasizes regional context. Buildings must ‘fit in’ and have a sense of place. They should be integrated into the land, as found in literal examples of Organic Architecture. Nature based. In other words, vernacular architecture makes use of native materials, local building forms & traditions. We can find many examples of this type of architecture in the Southwest United States. Aside from utilitarian uses, however, this design philosophy can also apply to Residential design, as well as Commercial design.

VERNACULAR STUDY

Recent international travel to Scotland, Italy & Japan has given him the opportunity to explore native design methods. While based in Cusco, Peru, he studied Incan Architecture for six months. This continuing education has sharpened his close attention to detailing, timelessness, scale, proportion, historical & cultural identity in his architectural designs. Photos of his architectural studies are included on this website.

BIOGRAPHY

Mr. Westervelt grew up in rural Arizona, then attended the University of Notre Dame. He graduated in 1993 from the Notre Dame School of Architecture with a Bachelor of Architecture degree. Joel spent a year in Rome during his academic career studying Roman architecture and urban planning. Joel returned to Arizona and joined the firm Jensvold/Thompson Architects where he worked for 13 years. He continues this relationship with the newly formed company ‘Green Room Studios’. Responsibilities in the firm include design, production and project management for various commercial design and residential design projects.